Systems for integrated decomposition and scanning of a semiconducting wafer

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are described for integrated decomposition and scanning of a semiconducting wafer, where a single chamber is utilized for decomposition and scanning of the wafer of interest.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/593,665, filed Dec. 1, 2017, andtitled “VAPOR PHASE DECOMPOSITION SYSTEM WITH CHAMBER FOR INTEGRATEDDECOMPOSITION AND SCANNING” and of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.62/676,234, filed May 24, 2018, and titled “SEMICONDUCTOR WAFERDECOMPOSITION AND SCANNING SYSTEM.” U.S. Provisional Applications Ser.Nos. 62/593,665 and 62/676,234 are herein incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

BACKGROUND

Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) spectrometry is an analysis techniquecommonly used for the determination of trace element concentrations andisotope ratios in liquid samples. ICP spectrometry employselectromagnetically generated partially ionized argon plasma whichreaches a temperature of approximately 7,000K. When a sample isintroduced to the plasma, the high temperature causes sample atoms tobecome ionized or emit light. Since each chemical element produces acharacteristic mass or emission spectrum, measuring the spectra of theemitted mass or light allows the determination of the elementalcomposition of the original sample.

Sample introduction systems may be employed to introduce the liquidsamples into the ICP spectrometry instrumentation (e.g., an InductivelyCoupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP/ICP-MS), an Inductively CoupledPlasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES), or the like) foranalysis. For example, a sample introduction system may transport analiquot of sample to a nebulizer that converts the aliquot into apolydisperse aerosol suitable for ionization in plasma by the ICPspectrometry instrumentation. The aerosol generated by the nebulizer isthen sorted in a spray chamber to remove the larger aerosol particles.Upon leaving the spray chamber, the aerosol is introduced into theplasma by a plasma torch assembly of the ICP-MS or ICP-AES instrumentsfor analysis.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are described for integrated decomposition andscanning of a semiconducting wafer, where a single chamber is utilizedfor decomposition and scanning of the wafer of interest. A chamberembodiment includes, but is not limited to, a chamber body defining aninterior region and a first aperture at a top portion of the chamber toreceive a semiconducting wafer into the interior region of the chamberbody; a ledge projecting into the interior region at an intermediateportion of the chamber body between the top portion of the chamber bodyand a bottom portion of the chamber body, the ledge defining a secondaperture within the interior region at the intermediate portion; a wafersupport configured to hold at least a portion of the semiconductingwafer, the wafer support positionable between at least a first positionadjacent the first aperture and a second position adjacent the secondaperture within the interior region of the chamber body; a motor systemoperably coupled with the wafer support, the motor system configured tocontrol a vertical position of the wafer support with respect to thechamber body at least to the first position for access to thesemiconducting wafer by a scanning nozzle and the second position fordecomposition of a surface of the semiconducting wafer; and a nebulizerpositioned between the first aperture and the second aperture, thenebulizer configured to spray a decomposition fluid onto the surface ofthe semiconducting wafer when the wafer support is positioned at thesecond position by the motor system.

A nozzle system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a nozzleincluding a nozzle body defining an inlet port in fluid communicationwith a first nozzle port, and defining a second nozzle port in fluidcommunication with an outlet port, the nozzle body configured to receivea fluid through the inlet port and direct the fluid through the firstnozzle port to introduce the fluid to a surface of a semiconductingwafer, the nozzle body configured to remove the fluid from the surfaceof the semiconducting wafer via the second nozzle port and direct thefluid from the second nozzle port through the outlet port, and a nozzlehood extending from the nozzle body adjacent the first nozzle port andthe second nozzle port and defining a channel disposed between the firstnozzle port and the second nozzle port, the nozzle hood configured todirect the fluid from the first nozzle port to the second nozzle portalong the surface of the semiconducting wafer; and a nozzle housingincluding a housing body defining an interior portion and an aperturethrough which at least a portion of the nozzle can pass whentransitioning between an extended position and a retracted position.

A method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, spraying adecomposition fluid onto a surface of a semiconducting wafer with anebulizer; positioning a nozzle above the surface of the semiconductingwafer following spraying of the decomposition fluid onto the surface ofthe semiconducting wafer with the nebulizer; introducing a scan fluid toan inlet port of the nozzle and directing a stream of the scan fluidonto the surface of the semiconducting wafer via a first nozzle port;directing the stream of the scan fluid through an elongated channel ofthe nozzle along the surface of the semiconducting wafer toward a secondnozzle port of the nozzle; and removing the stream of the scan fluidfrom the surface of the semiconducting wafer via the second nozzle portin fluid communication with an outlet port of the nozzle.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter.

DRAWINGS

The Detailed Description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances inthe description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items.

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of a system for integrated decompositionand scanning of a semiconducting wafer, in accordance with an embodimentof this disclosure.

FIG. 1B is an isometric view of the system of FIG. 1A with asemiconducting wafer positioned within a chamber.

FIG. 2A is cross-sectional view of the system of FIG. 1A, with thesemiconducting wafer positioned at a scanning position.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the system of FIG. 1A, with thesemiconducting wafer positioned at a decomposition position.

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the system of FIG. 1A, with thesemiconducting wafer positioned at a rinse position.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a portion of a chamber body of the systemof FIG. 1A, in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the system of FIG. 1A, with a scan armpositioning a nozzle over a surface of the semiconducting waferpositioned at a scanning position.

FIG. 5 is a partial isometric view of the system of FIG. 1A, with thescan arm positioned at a rinse station for the nozzle.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the scan arm positioned at a first position overthe semiconducting wafer and a subsequent second position of thesemiconducting wafer during a scanning process of the semiconductingwafer, in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 7A is an isometric view of a nozzle for a semiconductor waferdecomposition and scanning system, in accordance with an embodiment ofthis disclosure.

FIG. 7B is a top view of the nozzle of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C is a bottom view of the nozzle of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of FIG. 7B, taken along7D-7D.

FIG. 8A is a partial cross-sectional view of a nozzle mount assembly fora system for integrated decomposition and scanning of a semiconductingwafer, in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 8B is a partial cross-sectional view of the nozzle mount assemblyof FIG. 8A in contact with a surface.

FIG. 8C is a partial cross-sectional view of the nozzle mount assemblyof FIG. 8A lifted from the surface and leveled.

FIG. 9A is a schematic of a fluid handling system for a semiconductorwafer decomposition and scanning system, in accordance with anembodiment of this disclosure.

FIG. 9B is a schematic of the fluid handling system of FIG. 9A in achemical blank load configuration, in accordance with an embodiment ofthis disclosure.

FIG. 9C is a schematic of the fluid handling system of FIG. 9A in achemical inject configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 9D is a schematic of the fluid handling system of FIG. 9A in anozzle loop load configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 9E is a schematic of the fluid handling system of FIG. 9A in anozzle load configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 9F is a schematic of the fluid handling system of FIG. 9A in arecovery configuration, in accordance with an embodiment of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 10 is a schematic of a nebulizer fluid handling system for asemiconductor wafer decomposition and scanning system, in accordancewith an embodiment of this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

Determination of trace elemental concentrations or amounts in a samplecan provide an indication of purity of the sample, or an acceptabilityof the sample for use as a reagent, reactive component, or the like. Forinstance, in certain production or manufacturing processes (e.g.,mining, metallurgy, semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceuticalprocessing, etc.), the tolerances for impurities can be very strict, forexample, on the order of fractions of parts per billion. Forsemiconductor wafer processing, the wafer is tested for impurities, suchas metallic impurities, that can degrade the capabilities of the waferor render the wafer inoperable due to diminished carrier lifetimes,dielectric breakdown of wafer components, and the like.

Vapor phase decomposition (VPD) and subsequent scanning of the wafer isa technique to analyze the composition of the wafer to determine whethermetallic impurities are present. Traditional VPD and scanning techniqueshave limited throughput for facilitating the treatment and scanning ofsilicon wafers for impurity analysis. For instance, systems oftenutilize separate chambers for the VPD procedure and for the scanningprocedure. In the VPD chamber, silicon dioxide and other metallicimpurities present at the surface are contacted with a vapor (e.g.,hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), combinations thereof)and removed from the surface as vapor (e.g., as silicon tetrafluoride(SiF₄)). The treated wafer is transported to a separate chamber forscanning, where a liquid droplet is introduced to the treated wafersurface to collect residue following reaction of the decomposition vaporwith the wafer. The scanning procedure can involve holding a droplet onthe surface of the wafer with a scan head and rotating the wafer, whilemoving the scan head or keeping the scan head stationary to move thedroplet over the surface. After multiple revolutions of the wafer, thedroplet interacts with the desired surface area of the wafer to draw anyresidue from the contacted surface following decomposition. However,traditional wafer treatment techniques require significant amounts oftime and equipment to process a wafer, such through movement of thewafer from a decomposition chamber to a scan chamber to a rinse chamberduring treatment, utilizing scan nozzles that have limited dropletinteraction with the wafer surface during scanning (i.e., requiringmultiple revolutions of the wafer to interact the droplet with theentire surface area or a portion thereof), and the like. Moreover, suchhandling of the wafer can potentially expose technicians or otherindividuals to toxic hydrofluoric acid or can increase the risk ofenvironmental contamination to the wafer during transfer of the waferbetween the various process chambers, which also require a substantialphysical process floor footprint to facilitate the equipment andtransfer mechanisms between the equipment.

Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed, at least in part, tosystems and methods for semiconductor wafer decomposition and scanning,where a chamber facilitates decomposition and scanning of thesemiconducting wafer with a single chamber footprint, and where a nozzledirects a stream of fluid along a surface of the semiconducting waferbetween a first port of the nozzle and a second port of the nozzleguided by a nozzle hood defining an elongated channel to direct thestream along the wafer surface. The chamber defines at least twoapertures through which the semiconducting wafer can pass throughoperation of a wafer support and associated motor system, with a ledgeto provide zones within the chamber for decomposition and rinsing whilecontrolling fluid movement within the chamber, such as for draining andpreventing cross contamination. The motor system controls a verticalposition of the wafer support with respect to the chamber body to movethe semiconductor within the chamber body, with positioning above thechamber body supported by the motor system to load and unload wafers,provide access to the nozzle, and the like. The chamber furtherincorporates a nebulizer to direct decomposition fluid that isaerosolized by the nebulizer directly onto the surface of thesemiconducting wafer while the wafer support positions thesemiconducting wafer within an interior region of the chamber. A chambercan incorporate a lid that can open and close with respect to thechamber to isolate the interior region of the chamber from the regionexterior to the chamber, such as during the decomposition process. Thenozzle can be positioned with respect to the chamber by a rotatable scanarm, where the nozzle can be positioned away from the chamber tofacilitate lid closure (e.g., during the decomposition procedure) or tofacilitate rinsing of the nozzle at a rinse station. Further, therotation scan arm can position the nozzle over the semiconducting waferduring the scanning procedure. The system can utilize a fluid handlingsystem including switchable selector valves and pumps to controlintroduction of fluid to the nozzle, from the surface of the wafer, forpreparation of blanks, for rinsing system components, and the like.Following or during the scanning procedure, the scanning fluid can becollected and sent to an analysis device (e.g., ICPMS device) foranalytical determination of the composition of the scanning fluid.

Example Implementations

FIGS. 1A through 10 illustrate aspects of a system for integrateddecomposition and scanning of a semiconducting wafer (“system 100”) inaccordance with various embodiments of this disclosure. The system 100generally includes a chamber 102, a scan arm assembly 104, and a fluidhandling system 106 (e.g., shown at least in part in FIGS. 9A-10) tofacilitate at least decomposition and scanning procedures of asemiconducting wafer 108 (sometimes referred to herein as the “wafer”)through introduction of decomposition fluids to the wafer and throughintroduction to and removal of scanning fluids from a surface of thewafer 108. The chamber 102 provides an environment for each of waferdecomposition and wafer scanning with a single chamber footprint, andincludes a wafer support 110 to hold the wafer 108 and a motor system112 to control a vertical position of the wafer support 110 with respectto the chamber 102 (e.g., within the chamber 102, above the chamber 102,etc.) to position the wafer 108 for the decomposition and scanningprocedures or during other procedures of the system 100. The motorsystem 112 additionally provides rotational control of the wafer support110 to rotate the wafer 108 during various procedures of the system 100,and provides rotational and vertical control of the scan arm assembly104 to bring a nozzle of the scan arm assembly 104 into positions overthe wafer 108 during scanning procedures and into positions of a rinsestation 114 for nozzle cleaning. In implementations, the wafer support110 includes a vacuum table to hold the wafer 108 fixed relative to thewafer support 110, such as during movement of the wafer support 110.

The chamber 102 includes a chamber body 116 defining an interior region118 to receive the wafer 108 for processing. A ledge 120 projects intothe interior region 118 between a top portion 122 of the chamber body116 and a bottom portion 124 of the chamber body 116. Inimplementations, the chamber body 116 defines a first aperture 126 atthe top portion 122 through which the wafer 108 can be received into theinterior region 118. In implementations, the ledge 120 defines a secondaperture 128 at an intermediate portion of the interior region 118between the top portion 122 and the bottom portion 124 (e.g., betweenthe first aperture 126 and the bottom portion 124). During an exampleoperation shown in FIG. 1A, the system 100 can receive a semiconductingwafer 108 onto the wafer support 110, such as through operation of anautomated arm 50 selecting a wafer 108 from a front end unified pod(FOUP) or other location and introducing the selected wafer 108 onto thewafer support 110 (e.g., centered on the wafer support 110). The motorsystem 112 can position the wafer support 110 at, above, or adjacent tothe top portion 122 of the chamber body 122 to permit access to thewafer support 110 by the automated arm 50 to set the wafer 108 onto thewafer support 110. For instance, the wafer support 110 can be positionedat a first position (e.g., shown in FIG. 2A) adjacent to the firstaperture 126 during loading of the wafer 108. In implementations, thefirst position of the wafer support 110 is positioned outside theinterior region 118 (e.g., extended through the first aperture 126) toreceive the wafer 108.

The system 100 can include a lid 130 to isolate the interior region 118from an exterior region 132 to facilitate wafer decomposition whilelimiting exposure of the decomposition fluid to the exterior region 132.For example, the lid 130 can have a size and a shape to cover the firstaperture 126 when positioned over the first aperture 126. The lid 130can be positionable between an open position (e.g., shown in FIG. 1A)and a closed position (e.g., shown in FIG. 1B). The open position can beutilized during wafer loading to provide access to the automated arm,during scanning procedures, during wafer unloading procedures, and thelike. In implementations, the lid 130 is in the open position when thewafer support 110 is in the first position adjacent to the firstaperture 126 to provide access to the wafer 108 by the nozzle of thescan arm assembly 104. The closed position can be utilized during waferdecomposition procedures to prevent the decomposition fluid from leavingthe chamber 102 through the first aperture 126. In implementations, atleast a portion of the lid 130 contacts the chamber body 116 to isolatethe interior region 118 from the exterior region 132. The wafer 108 ismoved within the interior region 118 through control of the verticalposition of the wafer support 110 by the motor system 112 to a secondposition. For instance, the motor system 112 moves the wafer support 110to the second position within the interior region 118 prior to or duringmovement of the lid 130 from the open position to the closed position.In implementations, the lid 130 is positioned adjacent the chamber body116 and rotatably coupled to a mount 134 via a lid arm 136 to transitionthe lid 130 between the open position and the closed position.

Following introduction of the wafer 108 to the wafer support 11, thesystem 100 can transition to a decomposition configuration to facilitatedecomposition of one or more surfaces or edges of the wafer 108. Forexample, the motor system 112 moves the wafer support 110 from the firstposition to the second position to position the wafer 108 adjacent thesecond aperture 128 of the ledge 120 (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 1B and2B). In implementations, the chamber 102 includes a nebulizer 138positioned between the first aperture 126 and the second aperture 128 tospray a decomposition fluid onto the surface of the wafer 108 when thewafer support 110 is positioned at the second position by the motorsystem 112. The decomposition fluid is therefore sprayed directly intothe chamber 102 by the nebulizer 138. The decomposition fluid can besupplied to the nebulizer 138 via one or more fluids lines from thefluid handling system 106, such as through a conduit 140 into anantechamber 142 housing at least a portion of the nebulizer 138. Inimplementations, at least a portion of the nebulizer 138 is disposed atleast partially within a wall of the chamber 102. For example, thechamber body 116 can define an aperture 144 between the interior region118 and the antechamber 142 where an outlet of the nebulizer 138 candispense aerosolized decomposition fluid into the interior regionbetween the first aperture 126 and the second aperture 128 to cover anddecompose at least an upper surface 146 of the wafer 108.

In implementations, the chamber 102 induces a pressure beneath the wafer108 during decomposition to prevent decomposition fluid from passingbetween the edge of the wafer 108 and the ledge 120. For example, thechamber 102 can include a gas outlet port 148 within the interior region118 positioned between the second aperture 128 and the bottom portion124 of the chamber body 116 to introduce a gas or other fluid into theinterior region 118 during introduction of the decomposition fluid fromthe nebulizer 138 into the interior region 118. The gas from the gasoutlet port 148 can be introduced at a pressure greater than thepressure of aerosolized decomposition fluid supplied from the nebulizer138 to provide an upward flow of the gas through the second aperture 128(e.g., between the edge of the wafer 108 and the ledge 120) to preventthe passage of the decomposition fluid beneath the wafer 108. Inimplementations, the system 100 includes a controller coupled to a gassource to introduce gas from the gas source to the gas outlet port 148during introduction of the decomposition fluid onto the surface 146 ofthe wafer 108 by the nebulizer 138 when the wafer support 110 ispositioned at the second position. For example, the gas can be fed tothe gas outlet port 148 via a fluid line through the conduit 140 and theantechamber 142. In implementations, the motor system 112 inducesrotation of the wafer support 110 during the decomposition procedure tospin the wafer 108 when the aerosolized decomposition fluid is presentin the interior region 118.

The chamber 102 can facilitate removal of the fluids from the interiorregion 118 through one or more channels in the chamber body 116 in fluidcommunication with one or more drains, where such fluids can include,for example, excess decomposition fluid, silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4),gas supplied by the gas outlet port 148, water, water vapor, rinsefluids, or other fluids. For example, the chamber body 116 can include abase portion 200, an intermediate portion 202, and a top portion 204(e.g., shown in FIG. 2B) stacked on each other (e.g., via interlockinggrooves). The base portion 200 can define one or more drains 206 (e.g.,drains 206A and 206B) providing an outlet from the interior region 118of the chamber 102 to one or more drain receptacles (not shown) viadrain conduits. In implementations, drain 206A is fluidically coupledwith channels in the chamber body 116 to provide access of fluidslocated between the first aperture 126 and the second aperture 128 tothe drain 206A. For example, the intermediate portion 202 can define oneor more channels 208 at least a portion of which extend through theintermediate portion to vertically align with at least a portion of oneor more channels 210 formed by the base portion 200. The channels 208can be positioned between an interior surface 212 of the chamber body116 (e.g., of the top portion 204, the intermediate portion 202, orcombinations thereof) and the ledge 120 to permit flow of fluids held inthe interior region 118 between the lid 130 and the second aperture 128or the surface 146 of the wafer 108 into the channels 208, through tothe channels 210, and out the drains 206A. In implementations, thedrains 206B permit rinse fluids or other fluids to leave the interiorregion 118 of the chamber 102 during rinse procedures (described hereinwith reference to FIG. 2C).

Following decomposition of the wafer 108, the system 100 can transitionto a scanning configuration to permit access to the surface 146 of thewafer 108 by the scan arm assembly 104 without transferring the wafer108 to a separate scanning system. To transition to the scanningconfiguration, the motor system 112 can position the wafer support 110from the second position adjacent the second aperture 128 to the firstposition adjacent the first aperture 126, or otherwise closer to the topportion 122 of the chamber body 116 to permit access to the surface 146of the wafer 108 by the scan arm assembly 104. The scan arm assembly 104generally includes a rotatable arm support 300 coupled to a nozzlehousing 302 that supports a nozzle 304 configured to introduce the scanfluid to the surface 146 of the wafer 108 and recover the scan fluidfrom the surface 146 of the wafer 108. The motor system 112 can controlrotation of the rotatable arm support 300, vertical positioning of therotatable arm support 300, or combinations thereof, to position nozzlehousing 302 and nozzle 304 from one or more positions at the rinsestation 114 (e.g., shown in FIG. 2A) to one or more positions adjacentor above the wafer 108 (e.g., shown in FIG. 4). An exampleimplementation of the nozzle 304 is described further herein withreference to FIGS. 7A through 7D. In implementations, the rotatable armsupport 300 rotates or otherwise moves the nozzle 304 to position thenozzle 304 adjacent the wafer 108 when the wafer support 110 ispositioned at the first position by the motor system 112 and to positionthe nozzle 304 outside a path of the lid 130 from the open position tothe closed position when the wafer support 110 is positioned at thesecond position by the motor system 112.

With the nozzle 304 in position adjacent or above the wafer 108 (e.g.,shown in FIG. 4), the fluid handling system 106 can control introductionof scanning fluids to and from the nozzle 304 to facilitate scanningprocedures of the surface 146 of the wafer 108. Referring to FIGS. 7Athrough 7D, an example implementation of the nozzle 304 is shown. Thenozzle 304 is configured to deliver a stream of fluid across the surface146 of the wafer 108, which can cover a greater surface area of thewafer 108 in a shorter period of time than moving a spot-size dropletover the wafer 108. The stream of fluid is guided over the surface 146of the wafer 108 by the nozzle 304 to controllably scan the desiredsurface area of the wafer 108. In implementations, the nozzle 304 guidesthe stream of fluid over substantially the entire surface 146 in asingle revolution of the wafer 108. In implementations, a wedge of thesurface 146 (e.g., a sector of the wafer 108 or portion thereof) can bescanned in a fraction of a single revolution of the wafer 108. Thenozzle 304 includes a nozzle body 500 defining an inlet port 502, anoutlet port 504, a first nozzle port 506, a second nozzle port 508, anda nozzle hood 510. The nozzle 304 can also include one or more mountingapertures to mount the nozzle 304 within the nozzle housing 302. Theinlet port 502 and the outlet port 504 receive fluid lines to direct theflow of fluid into and out from the nozzle 304 during operation of thesystem 100. For example, the nozzle 304 receives fluid through action ofa first pump (e.g., syringe pump) pushing the fluid from a holding lineor loop (e.g., a sample holding loop) into the nozzle 304, where it isdirected into the inlet port 502 and through a channel 503 in the nozzlebody 500 fluidically connecting the inlet port 502 and the first nozzleport 506. The fluid is then deposited onto the surface 146 of the wafer108 through the first nozzle port 506. The fluid is directed along thesurface 146 of the wafer 108 as a continuous fluid stream via a channel512 defined between the nozzle hood 510 and the nozzle body 500, wherethe fluid is subsequently removed from the surface 146 of the wafer 108.For example, the fluid can be removed from the surface 146 via action ofa second pump (e.g., syringe pump) pulling the fluid through the secondnozzle port 508 at the end of the channel 512 distal from the firstnozzle port 506 through fluid communication between the outlet port 504and the second nozzle port 508 through the nozzle body 500. As such, thefluid is permitted to contact the wafer 108 during transit from thefirst nozzle port 506 to the second nozzle port 508. The channel 512permits a volume of fluid to travel over the wafer, assisted by thenozzle hood 510. In implementations, the channel 512 has a volume ofapproximately 300 μL. However, the volume of the channel 512 is notlimited to 300 μL and can include volumes less than 300 μL and volumesgreater than 300 μL. For example, the volume of the channel 512 candepend on the size of the wafer 108 being processed by the system 100 toprovide a desired amount of fluid (e.g., scanning fluid) to the surface146. The length of the channel 512 can be selected based on the size ofthe wafer 108 to be processed by the system 100, where inimplementations, the channel 512 has a length of approximately theradius of the wafer 108. In implementations, the length of the channel512 can be from approximately 20 mm to approximately 500 mm). Forexample, the length of the channel 512 can be approximately 150 mm(e.g., to accommodate a 300 mm diameter wafer), approximately 100 mm(e.g., to accommodate a 200 mm diameter wafer), approximately 225 mm(e.g., to accommodate a 450 mm diameter wafer).

The nozzle hood 510 extends from the nozzle body 500 adjacent each ofthe first nozzle port 506 and the second nozzle port 508 and defines thechannel 512 between the nozzle hood 512 and the nozzle body 500 betweenthe first nozzle port 506 and the second nozzle port 508. The nozzlehood 510 can further extend to include each of the first nozzle port 506and the second nozzle port 508 within the channel 512 such that thenozzle hood 510 encloses the first nozzle port 506 and the second nozzleport 508 within the nozzle hood 510 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7C). Inimplementations, the nozzle body 500 includes substantially opposingside walls 514 longitudinally across the nozzle 304. The opposing sidewalls 514 each include a tapered wall portion 516 that are coupled to orotherwise extend to provide opposing portions 518. In implementations,the opposing portions 518 are substantially vertical to form at least aportion of the nozzle hood 510. The nozzle 304 can be formed from asingle unitary piece, or portions of the nozzle 304 can be formedseparately and fused or otherwise coupled together. In implementations,the nozzle 304 is formed from chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE),polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or combinations thereof.

The channel 512 of the nozzle 304 have an elongated shape with roundedends 513A and 513B. Rounded ends can promote superior fluid handlingcharacteristics as compared to angled ends, such as by providing moreconsistent delivery and uptake of fluid through the nozzle 304. Inimplementations, the first nozzle port 506 (where the fluid is dispensedfrom the nozzle 304 onto the wafer 108) is positioned tangent to theedge of the rounded end 513A of the channel 512. Such positioning canassist with a clean break of the fluid stream from the first nozzle port506 once all fluid has been introduced to the wafer 108, while avoidingsegmentation of the fluid on the surface of the wafer 108. Inimplementations, the rotatable arm support 300 rotates the nozzlehousing 302 to cause the rounded end 513A of the nozzle 302 to extendover the edge of the wafer 108 (e.g., following the scan procedure) topromote uptake of the stream of fluid through the second nozzle port 508via operation of the fluid handling system 106. For example, as shown inFIG. 6, the nozzle is positioned at a first position (e.g., a scanposition) at a first time (t₁) whereby the channel 512 is positionedover the surface 146. The rotatable arm support 300 then rotates thenozzle housing 302 at a second time (t₂) to cause the rounded end 513Ato extend past the edge of the wafer 108 (e.g., to overhand the edge) ina second position approximately 7 degrees rotated from the firstposition. In implementations, the second nozzle port 508 is positionedapproximately at the center of the rounded end 513B distal from thefirst nozzle port 506. Positioning the second nozzle port 508 at thecenter of the rounded end 513B, as opposed to tangent to the edge of therounded end 513B, can facilitate uptake of the fluid while facilitatingthe maintenance of the fluid stream on the surface 146 withoutsegmentation of the fluid stream to precisely control movement of thefluid over the surface 146 of the wafer 108.

The position of the nozzle 304 above the surface 416 of the wafer 108can influence the amount of fluid supported within the channel 512during the scan procedure. The system 100 can include a zeroingprocedure to ensure a desired height above the surface 416 is achievedprior to introduction of scanning fluid to the nozzle to facilitate thedesired amount of fluid to be guided by the nozzle hood 510 along thesurface 146 of the wafer 108. An example zeroing procedure is shown withrespect to FIGS. 8A through 8C, where aspects of the scan arm assembly104 are shown in accordance with various embodiments of this disclosure.The scan arm assembly 104 facilitates alignment of the nozzle 304 withrespect to the wafer 108, such that the first nozzle port 506 and thesecond nozzle port 508 are level with respect to the surface 146 of thewafer 108 to which the fluid will be applied and removed. The system 100can undergo an alignment or leveling procedure for each wafer 108processed by the system 100 (e.g., in between scanning of a first waferthat is removed from the chamber 102 and scanning of a second wafer thatis introduced to the chamber 102) or as needed to ensure the nozzle 304is level with respect to the wafer 108 held by the chamber 102, such asprior to the next scanning procedure. In general, the nozzle 304 ismovably coupled with a nozzle housing 302 to permit the nozzle 304 tohave a range of motion with respect to the nozzle housing 302whi1e beingsupported by the nozzle housing 302. The nozzle housing 302 defines anaperture 520 through which at least a portion of the nozzle 304 can passwhen transitioning between an extended position (e.g., shown in FIG. 8A)and a retracted position (e.g., shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C). For example,a top portion of the nozzle 304 can be positioned within the nozzlehousing 302, where additional portions of the nozzle 304 can beintroduced into the interior of the nozzle housing 302 via the aperture520 when the nozzle 304 is transitioned from the extended portion to theretracted portion. For instance, when the nozzle 304 is positioned tocontact a zeroing surface 522, the nozzle hood 128 can contact thesurface 522 to push the nozzle 304 into a level position with respect tothe surface 522. The nozzle housing 302 can then actuate to lock theposition of the nozzle 304 in place, to keep the nozzle 304 level withthe surface 522 when the nozzle 304 is lifted from the surface 522(e.g., to a scan position). The nozzle housing 302 can include amechanical, electrical, or electromechanical locking device toreleasably secure the nozzle 304 with respect to the nozzle housing 302.In implementations, the surface 522 includes the surface 146 of thewafer 108, a surface of the wafer support 110 (e.g., prior to loadingthe wafer 108 onto the wafer support 110), a surface of rinse station114, or another surface having a structure consistent with levelcharacteristics of a semiconducting wafer, such that when the nozzle 304contacts the surface 522, the nozzle hood 128, the first nozzle port506, the second nozzle port 508, etc. will be properly positioned withrespect to the wafer 108.

In implementations, the nozzle mount assembly 500 includes the nozzlehousing 302 to couple the nozzle 304 to the rotatable arm support 300.The nozzle 304 can be coupled to the nozzle housing 302 via a coupler524 defining an aperture 526 to interact with a protrusion 528 of thenozzle housing 302. The protrusion 528 can include a fastener, pin, orother structure having a width or diameter that is less than a width ordiameter of the aperture 526, such that when the scan arm assembly 104is in a first state (e.g., a leveling state), the top of the aperture526 rests on the protrusion 528, which provides a lower or extendedposition of the nozzle 304 with respect to the nozzle housing 302 viathe coupler 524 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 8A). The system 100 canimplement an alignment or leveling procedure by causing the rotatablearm support 300 to lower the nozzle housing 302 to cause the nozzle 304to contact the surface 522 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 8B). For example, asthe nozzle 304 contacts the surface 522, the coupler 524 is pushedupwards with respect to the protrusion 528, such that the protrusion 528does not support the coupler 524 via contact with the top of theaperture 526. Following contact of the nozzle 304 with the surface 522,the nozzle 304 is in the retracted position and the system 100 canactuate a lock structure 530 (e.g., integrated within the nozzle housing302) to secure the position of the nozzle 304 with respect to the nozzlehousing 302. For example, the coupler 524 can include a ferrous materialto be secured by a magnetic field generated by an electromagnetincorporated in the lock structure 530. While an electromagnet is shownas part of the lock structure 530 in the example embodiments, other lockstructures can be utilized, including but not limited to, pneumaticsolenoid actuators, mechanical locks, electromechanical locks, or thelike.

The nozzle housing 302 can include sensors to monitor a position of thenozzle 304 with respect to the nozzle housing 302, such as to determinewhether the nozzle 304 is in the extended state, in the retracted state,or in a different position. For example, in implementations, the nozzlehousing 302 includes a sensor 532 to detect the presence or absence ofthe coupler 524 and generate or cease generating a signal received by acontroller of the system 100. The sensor 532 can include an opticalswitch with a light source on a first side of the coupler 524 and adetector on a second opposing side of the coupler 524. The coupler 524can include an indexing cutout, a portion of which passes between thelight source and the detector of the sensor 532. When the nozzle 304 isin the extended position (e.g., the lock structure 520 is not engaged),light from the light source passes through the indexing cutout of thecoupler 524 and is detected by the detector on the other side of thecoupler 524. The sensor 532 then outputs a signal or ceases outputting asignal indicating detection of the light, which indicates to the system100 that the nozzle 304 is in the extended position. When the nozzle 304is in the retracted position, such as after being leveled on the surface522, the body of the coupler 524 is positioned between the light sourceand detector of the sensor 532, blocking the light from reaching thedetector. The sensor 532 would output a signal or cease outputting asignal indicating no detection of the light source. Such a signal orlack thereof indicates to the system 100 that the nozzle 304 is in theretracted position (e.g., supported in the nozzle housing 302 by thelock structure 530). Operation of the sensor 532 can provide a systemcheck to ensure that the nozzle 304 is still in a retracted and leveledposition after a period of operation. Changes in the output from thesensor 532 can indicate that a releveling procedure may be appropriate,the lock structure 530 should be evaluated, etc. Alternatively, theindexing cutout could be repositioned such that when the nozzle 304 isin the retracted position, the detector is aligned with the indexingcutout, and when the nozzle 304 is in the extended position, the body ofthe coupler 524 blocks the light.

When the nozzle 304 is leveled with respect to the surface 522 andlocked into position via the lock structure 530, the rotatable armsupport 300 can lift the nozzle 304 from the surface 522 (e.g., as shownin FIG. 8C), while maintaining the nozzle 304 in the leveled position.The rotatable arm support 300 can then position the nozzle 304 in a scanposition or otherwise move the nozzle 304 (e.g., to permit a wafer 108to be positioned on the wafer support 110 if the surface 522 used tolevel the nozzle 304 is the support 106).

The nozzle housing 302 can include one or more sensors to facilitateintroducing fluid to the nozzle 304 and removing fluid from the nozzle304. For example, in implementations, the nozzle housing 302 includesone or more sensors (sensors 534A and 534B are shown) adjacent to ormore of the inlet port 502 and the outlet port 504 of the nozzle 304 tocontrol operation of the fluid handling system 106 to control the flowof fluid into and out of the nozzle 304. The sensors 534A and 534B caninclude an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, orother sensor, or combinations thereof to sense the flow of liquid or theabsence thereof within the fluid lines of the system 100. For example,the system 100 can include fluid lines from the fluid handling systemcoupled to fluid line couplers 536A and 536B through which the sensors534A and 534B, respectively, can detect the present or absence of fluidtherein. Output signals, or the lack thereof, can control operation ofone or more components of the fluid handling system 106 including, butnot limited to, pumps utilized to introduce fluid to or remove fluidfrom the nozzle 304.

The system 100 facilitates rinsing procedures for the wafer 108 and forthe nozzle 304, such as following scan procedures. Referring to FIG. 2C,the chamber 102 is shown in a rinse configuration to facilitate rinsingof the wafer 108. To transition to the rinse configuration, the motorsystem 112 can position the wafer support 110 from the first positionadjacent the first aperture 126 (e.g., the scanning position) or otherposition to a rinse position between the ledge 120 and the bottomportion 124 of the chamber body 116. A rinse fluid can be introduced tothe wafer 108, such as through a rinse port on the nozzle housing 302 orotherwise provided in the system 100, whereby the motor system 112 canspin the wafer 108 to induce removal of the rinse fluid. The rinse fluidcan then impact the interior of the chamber body 116 and flow to thedrains 206B to leave the interior region 118 of the chamber 102. Toclean the nozzle 304, the rotatable arm support 300 can position thenozzle 304 with respect to one or more troughs of the rinse station 114.For instance, the rinse station 114 can include a first trough 115A(e.g., shown in FIG. 5) having an elongated channel into which rinsefluid is introduced from a rinse fluid source to interact with thenozzle hood 510, the channel 512, or other portions of the nozzle 304.The nozzle 304 is shown positioned in the first trough 115A in FIGS. 1Aand 1B. The rinse station 114 can also include a second trough 115Bhaving an elongated channel coupled with a drying gas source (e.g.,nitrogen or other inert gas) to introduce a drying gas into theelongated channel to impact against the nozzle 304. The nozzle 304 isshown positioned in the second trough 115B in FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A through 10, an example fluid handling system106 of system 100 is described in accordance with various embodiments ofthis disclosure. For example, the fluid handling system 106 canfacilitate preparation of chemical blanks of chemicals utilized by thesystem 100 for analysis by an analytic system, can facilitatepreparation of decomposition fluids on demand and according to desiredratios for use in the chamber 102, can facilitate preparation ofscanning fluids on demand and according to desired ratios for use in thechamber 102, and combinations thereof. As shown, the fluid handlingsystem 106 includes a pump system including pumps 600, 602, 604, 606,608, 610, and 612 to draw and push fluids through the fluid handlingsystem to interact with other components of the system 100 (e.g., thenozzle 304), analysis systems, and the like. The pump system is shownincorporating syringe pumps, however the system 100 can utilizedifferent pumps types or systems, combinations of pump types or systems,and the like. An example configuration of the fluid handling system 106is shown in FIG. 10 to introduce a decomposition fluid to the nebulizer138 of the chamber 102 during the decomposition procedure of the wafer108. The pump 612 can draw hydrofluoric acid (HF) or other decompositionfluid(s) from a decomposition fluid source 613 into a holding line(e.g., decomposition fluid holding loop 614) with a valve 616 in a firstconfiguration and a valve 618 in a first configuration. In a secondconfiguration of the valve 616 gas from a gas source 619 can beintroduced into the fluid line holding the decomposition fluid toprovide a barrier between a working fluid used to push the decompositionfluid to the nebulizer 138. In a second configuration of the valve 618,the pump 612 can draw a working solution (e.g., deionized water or otherfluid), whereby the valve 618 can switch to the first position and thevalve 616 can switch to a a third configuration to provide fluidcommunication between the pump 612 and the nebulizer 138, whereby thepump 612 pushes the working solution against the decomposition fluidheld in the decomposition fluid holding loop 614 (e.g., via anyintermediate air gap) to introduce the decomposition fluid to thenebulizer 138. Following decomposition of the wafer 108, the system 100can scan the wafer 108 for determination of impurities.

Referring to FIG. 9A, the fluid handling system 106 is shown in anexample chemical load configuration. The pumps 604, 606, and 608 drawchemicals from chemical sources 620, 622, and 624, respectively, viavalve 626 in a first valve configuration. The chemicals can include, forexample, hydrofluoric acid (HF), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), deionizedwater (DIW), or other fluids. In a second valve configuration (shown inFIG. 9A) of valve 626, each of pumps 604, 606, and 608 are fluidicallycoupled with a fluid line connector (e.g., manifold 628 or otherconnector) whereby the chemicals drawn by each pump are combined andpermitted to mix. The combined fluids are directed to valve 630, whichin a first valve configuration directs the combined fluids to a holdingline (e.g., holding loop 632). In implementations, a system controllercontrols operation of each of pumps 620, 622, and 624 independently tocontrol the flow rate of each fluid handled by the respective pumps,thereby providing a controlled composition of the mixed fluids directedinto the holding loop 632 following mixing. In implementations, a firstfluid mixture can be used to interact with the wafer 108 during a firstscan procedure, and a second fluid mixture can be prepared on demandwith different operational control of the pump systems 620, 622, and 624to introduce the second fluid mixture to interact with the wafer 108during a second scan procedure. Additional fluid mixtures can beprepared on demand and introduced to the wafer 108 as desired. Inimplementations, the holding loop 632 has a volume that supportsscanning procedures for multiple wafers without need to refill. Forexample, the scanning solution can be prepared, where a portion of thescanning solution (e.g., a “blank” sample) can be sent to an analyticsystem for verification that the solution is within operationalconstraints for use on wafers. The remainder of the scanning solution inthe holding loop 632 can then be used in multiple scanning procedures,with the scanning solution pre-verified as suitable for use. An exampleloading of a chemical blank for analysis is shown with reference to FIG.9B.

Referring to FIG. 9B, the fluid handling system 106 is shown in anexample nozzle bypass configuration to send a chemical blank foranalysis without passing the blank through the nozzle 304. In the nozzlebypass configuration, the pump 610 is in fluid communication with theholding loop 632 (e.g., with valve 630 in a second valve configuration)to push the fluid held in the holding loop 632 to a sample holding line(e.g., sample holding loop 634) via valve 636 in a first valveconfiguration and valve 638 in a first valve configuration. When thefluid is isolated in the sample holding loop 634, the fluid handlingsystem 106 can switch configurations to a sample inject configuration totransfer the sample to an analytic system for analysis. The analyticsystem can include, but is not limited to, inductively coupled plasmaspectrometry instrumentation for trace element compositiondeterminations.

Referring to FIG. 9C, the fluid handling system 106 is shown in anexample chemical inject configuration, whereby the holding loop 632 isin fluid communication with one or more transfer mechanism. For example,in an implementation, the valve 638 is in a second configuration (showndashed in FIG. 9C) to fluidically couple the holding loop 632 with a gastransfer source (e.g., nitrogen pressure source 640) to push the sampleheld in the holding loop 632 to a transfer line 642 to a sample analyticsystem via valve 644 in a first valve configuration and valve 646 in afirst valve configuration. In an implementation, the valve 638 is in athird valve configuration (shown in FIG. 9C solid line) to fluidicallycouple the holding loop 632 with pump 602 via valve 648 in a first valveconfiguration (shown in FIG. 9C solid line) which pushes the sample heldin the holding loop 632 to the transfer line 642 to the sample analyticsystem via valve 644 in the first valve configuration and valve 646 inthe first valve configuration. The pump 602 can use a working solution(e.g., deionized water from DIW source 650) to push against the sampleto the transfer linei 642. In implementations, the fluid handling system106 introduces a fluid gap between the working fluid and the sample,such as by introducing a bubble (e.g., from nitrogen pressure source640) into the holding loop 632 prior to pushing of the working solution.In implementations, the fluid handling system 106 includes a sensor 652adjacent the transfer line 642 to detect the presence or absence of afluid in the transfer line 642. For example, the sensor 652 can detectthe back end of the sample pushed from the holding loop 632 (e.g., bydetecting a bubble in the line), where the sensor signal or lack thereofcan inform a controller of the fluid handling system 106 to switchconfigurations of valve 646 and 648 to second valve configurations(shown dashed in FIG. 9C) to fluidically connect pump 602 with thetransfer line 642 via fluid line 654. In such a configuration, the otherportions of the fluid handling system 106 are isolated from the transferof the sample to the sample analyzer to permit rinsing of those otherportions during sample transfer.

Referring to FIG. 9D, the fluid handling system 106 is shown in anexample nozzle loop load configuration, whereby the holding loop 632 isin fluid communication with a nozzle holding line (e.g., nozzle holdingloop 656) to prepare to introduce the fluid to the nozzle 304. In thenozzle loop load configuration, the pump 610 is in fluid communicationwith the holding loop 632 (e.g., with valve 630 in the second valveconfiguration) to push the fluid held in the holding loop 632 to thenozzle holding loop 632 via valve 636 in a second valve configurationand valve 658 in a first valve configuration. In implementations, thenozzle holding loop 632 has a volume of approximately 500 μL, whereasthe hold loop 632 has a volume of approximately 5-20 mL to permit fillsof the nozzle holding loop 632 for each preparation of the scan solutionthrough operation of the pumps 604, 606, 608. When the fluid is isolatedin the nozzle holding loop 656, the fluid handling system 106 can switchconfigurations to a nozzle load configuration to transfer the fluid tothe nozzle 304 for a scanning procedure of the wafer 108 or to take anozzle blank sample (e.g., introduce the fluid to an inert surface, suchas a surface of the rinse station 114, and remove the sample from theinert surface for analysis).

Referring to FIG. 9E, the fluid handling system 106 is shown in anexample nozzle load configuration, whereby the pump 600 is in fluidcommunication with the nozzle holding loop 656 and the nozzle 304 viavalve 658 is a second valve configuration to push the fluid from thenozzle holding loop 656 to the nozzle 304. In implementations, duringscanning procedures, the wafer 108 is held stationary while the nozzle304 is loaded by the pump 600. In implementations, the system 100performs a zeroing operation of the nozzle 304 (e.g., described withreference to FIGS. 8A through 8C) prior to filling of the nozzle 304with the fluid. The nozzle is then placed in scan position over thewafer 108, where pump 600 can operate to push the fluid from the nozzleholding loop 656 to the inlet port 506 of the nozzle 304 through thenozzle body 500 to the first nozzle port 506 and onto the surface 146 ofthe wafer 108 (or onto the inert surface for nozzle blank analyses). Inimplementations, a controller of the fluid handling system 106 controlsoperation of the pump 600 based on sense signals or lack thereof fromsensors 534A and 534B detecting the presence or lack thereof of fluidintroduced to or fluid leaving the nozzle 304 indicating a filled nozzle304. In implementations, the detection of the front end of the fluid bythe sensor 534A causes the pump 600 to decrease the flow rate of thefluid introduced to the nozzle 304 (e.g., from an approximately 50μL/min flow rate to a 10-20 μL/min flow rate). In implementations, thepump 600 operates to fill the nozzle 304 until the back end of the fluidis registered by the sensor 534B. The pump 600 can then operate for atime period to push the back end of the fluid into the nozzle 304, andthen stops operation, whereby all the fluid previously held by thenozzle holding loop 656 is positioned on the surface 146 of the wafer108 (or on the inert surface if a nozzle blank is being performed). Thefluid is then supported on the surface 146 by the nozzle 304. Inimplementations, a portion of the fluid may protrude out from the nozzlehood 510, but can be maintained in contact with the remainder of thefluid within the channel 512, such as through adhesion forces. Thesystem 100 then transitions to scanning the nozzle 304 over the surface146 of the wafer 108. During the scanning procedure, the motor system112 rotates the wafer 108 (e.g., at approximately 2 rpm), whereby thefluid supported by the nozzle 304 is transferred over the surface 146 ofthe wafer 108. In implementations, the fluid interacts withsubstantially the whole surface 146 of the wafer 108 in a singlerotation of the wafer 108, however additional rotations can beperformed. For example, the scanning procedure can involve two rotationsof the wafer 108 by the motor system 112 to permit the fluid to contactthe entire surface of the wafer 108 twice. Following scanning, thenozzle can be rotated to cause an end of the nozzle to extend over theedge of the wafer (e.g., as described with reference to FIG. 6), such asto assist in uptake of the fluid from the surface into the nozzle 304via the second nozzle port 508.

Referring to FIG. 9F, the fluid handling system 106 is shown in anexample recovery configuration, whereby the pump 602 is in fluidcommunication with the nozzle 304 via valve 648 in the firstconfiguration, valve 638 in the third configuration, and valve 644 in asecond configuration. In the recovery configuration, the pump 602operates to draw the fluid from the surface 146 of the wafer 108 throughthe second nozzle port 508 and out the nozzle 304 via the outlet port504, where the fluid is pulled into the sample holding loop 634. Asensor (e.g., sensor 660) can be utilized to control operation of thepump 602 similar to control of the pump 600 by output of the sensors534A/534B. For example, sensor 660 can detect the back end of the fluidflowing into the sample holding loop 634 which can signal the pump 602to stop operation (e.g., via a controller of the fluid handling system106). Once the fluid is held in the sample holding loop 634, the fluidhandling system 106 can transition to the chemical inject configuration,described with reference to FIG. 9C, to introduce the fluid to thesample analyzer via the transfer line 642. In implementations, thesample holding loop 634 has a larger volume (e.g., 1.5 mL) than thevolume of the fluid provided to the nozzle 304 (e.g., 500 μL) to permittotal recovery of the fluid following scanning.

Electromechanical devices (e.g., electrical motors, servos, actuators,or the like) may be coupled with or embedded within the components ofthe system 100 to facilitate automated operation via control logicembedded within or externally driving the system 100. Theelectromechanical devices can be configured to cause movement of devicesand fluids according to various procedures, such as the proceduresdescribed herein. The system 100 may include or be controlled by acomputing system having a processor or other controller configured toexecute computer readable program instructions (i.e., the control logic)from a non-transitory carrier medium (e.g., storage medium such as aflash drive, hard disk drive, solid-state disk drive, SD card, opticaldisk, or the like). The computing system can be connected to variouscomponents of the system 100, either by direct connection, or throughone or more network connections (e.g., local area networking (LAN),wireless area networking (WAN or WLAN), one or more hub connections(e.g., USB hubs), and so forth). For example, the computing system canbe communicatively coupled to the chamber 102, the motor system 112,valves described herein, pumps described herein, other componentsdescribed herein, components directing control thereof, or combinationsthereof. The program instructions, when executed by the processor orother controller, can cause the computing system to control the system100 (e.g., control pumps, selection valves, actuators, spray nozzles,positioning devices, etc.) according to one or more modes of operation,as described herein.

It should be recognized that the various functions, control operations,processing blocks, or steps described throughout the present disclosuremay be carried out by any combination of hardware, software, orfirmware. In some embodiments, various steps or functions are carriedout by one or more of the following: electronic circuitry, logic gates,multiplexers, a programmable logic device, an application-specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a controller/microcontroller, or a computingsystem. A computing system may include, but is not limited to, apersonal computing system, a mobile computing device, mainframecomputing system, workstation, image computer, parallel processor, orany other device known in the art. In general, the term “computingsystem” is broadly defined to encompass any device having one or moreprocessors or other controllers, which execute instructions from acarrier medium.

Program instructions implementing functions, control operations,processing blocks, or steps, such as those manifested by embodimentsdescribed herein, may be transmitted over or stored on carrier medium.The carrier medium may be a transmission medium, such as, but notlimited to, a wire, cable, or wireless transmission link. The carriermedium may also include a non-transitory signal bearing medium orstorage medium such as, but not limited to, a read-only memory, a randomaccess memory, a magnetic or optical disk, a solid-state or flash memorydevice, or a magnetic tape.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by theappended claims. Although embodiments of this invention have beenillustrated, it is apparent that various modifications may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe disclosure.

1.-13. (canceled)
 14. A system for decomposing and scanning a surface ofa semiconducting wafer utilizing a nozzle comprising: a nozzle includinga nozzle body defining an inlet port in fluid communication with a firstnozzle port, and defining a second nozzle port in fluid communicationwith an outlet port, the nozzle body configured to receive a fluidthrough the inlet port and direct the fluid through the first nozzleport to introduce the fluid to a surface of a semiconducting wafer, thenozzle body configured to remove the fluid from the surface of thesemiconducting wafer via the second nozzle port and direct the fluidfrom the second nozzle port through the outlet port, and a nozzle hoodextending from the nozzle body adjacent the first nozzle port and thesecond nozzle port and defining a channel disposed at least partiallybetween the first nozzle port and the second nozzle port, the nozzlehood configured to direct the fluid from the first nozzle port to thesecond nozzle port along the surface of the semiconducting wafer; and apump system fluidically coupled to the nozzle, the pump system includinga first pump fluidically coupled to the inlet port of the nozzle body,the first pump configured to deliver the fluid to the inlet port and tointroduce the fluid to the surface of the semiconducting wafer via thefirst nozzle port upon operation of the first pump, and a second pumpfluidically coupled to the outlet port of the nozzle body, the secondpump configured to remove the fluid from the surface of thesemiconducting wafer via the second nozzle port and direct the fluidfrom the second nozzle port through the outlet port.
 15. The system ofclaim 14, further comprising a nebulizer fluidically coupled to the pumpsystem, the nebulizer configured to spray a decomposition fluid onto thesurface of the semiconducting wafer upon operation of the pump system.16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pump system includes a thirdpump, the third pump configured to push the decomposition fluid to thenebulizer, wherein the nebulizer aerosolizes the decomposition fluidonto the surface of the semiconducting wafer upon operation of the thirdpump.
 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the channel of the nozzle hoodhas a length of approximately a radius of the semiconducting wafer. 18.The system of claim 14, further including a sensor configured to detecta presence or an absence of a fluid within a fluid line between thenozzle and the first pump or between the nozzle and the second pump. 19.The system of claim 18, further including a controller operably coupledto the sensor and the pump system, the controller configured to controloperation of the pump system responsive to receipt of sense signals fromthe sensor indicative of the presence or the absence of the fluid withinthe fluid line.
 20. The system of claim 14, further including a firstsensor configured to detect a presence or an absence of a fluid within afluid line between the nozzle and the first pump; and a second sensorconfigured to detect a presence or an absence of a fluid within a fluidline between the nozzle and the second pump.